Vet At NJ's Turtle Back Zoo Will Help Protect Sea Lions

WEST ORANGE, NJ — New Jersey’s Turtle Back Zoo is already lending a hand with sea turtle rehabilitation. Now the zoo can add sea lions to the list of animals its staff have helped to protect.

Staff at the West Orange facility recently announced that in June, the zoo will be sending their seasoned veterinarian, Jon Bergmann, to California so he can volunteer his services for sick and injured sea lions.

Bergmann will be assisting with direct animal care with a goal of healthy releases back into the wild, zoo administrators said.

Garden State native Bergmann – who has been working with the Turtle Back Zoo for more than two years – has a history of success with sea lions. In 2014, he traveled to the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro, California, to assist with a stranded sea lion known as “Tipper.”

When the sea lion failed to thrive on her own, Bergmann secured her safe transit to Turtle Back Zoo, where she now resides in the zoo’s Sea Lion Sound exhibit.

Hopefully, Bergmann will be able to work his magic on the West Coast where it’s sorely needed.

According to zoo staff:

“Sea lions are loved and adored by many people all over the world. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize sea lions have been endangered for years. Last year, there were approximately 900 sea lions stranded on the beaches of North America’s western cost. This year, there are over 3,000. Most of these sea lions are pups and about 70% of them are expected to die without assistance. To help decrease these numbers, non-profit organizations like the Marine Mammal Care Center specialize in saving and protecting marine animals. Nearly 1,171 sea lions have been rescued from the months of January to April 2015. Sea lions are being saved and released frequently, and with the help of these organizations they will hopefully continue to live long and healthy lives.”

SAVING SEA TURTLES

Earlier this month, the Turtle Back Zoo officially opened its new Sea Turtle Recovery Center to the public.

The much-anticipated, $2 million recovery center is a county partnership with Northfield-based non-profit Sea Turtle Recovery, which will nurse cold-stunned or injured turtles back to health so they can be released back into the ocean.

• See Sea Turtles In NJ; Zoo Recovery Center Opens To Public

According to a county news release, the new building has five recovery tanks, life support systems and an intensive care unit for more critically injured turtles. Zoo visitors will be able to see less critical patients while learning about the perils sea turtles face and what the public can do to help.

Zoo staff and the crew of Sea Turtle Recovery began prepping for their first inhabitants in December.

• See related article: WATCH: Turtle Back Zoo Preps For Injured Sea Turtles’ Arrival In N.J.
• See related article: ‘Cold-Stunned’ Sea Turtles Sheltered At N.J.’s Turtle Back Zoo

File Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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